Upcoming Event

The ACAMS Australasian Chapter was formally established in late 2007 with the main objective being to support ACAMS in its mission to advance the professional knowledge, skills and experience of those dedicated to the prevention and detection of money laundering. A second and equally important objective is to provide local AML professionals with a support network of like-minded persons and to deliver member events throughout the region.

The Chapter will assist ACAMS with the development of a CAMS elective sub-certification examination module that tests knowledge and understanding of Australia’s and New Zealand’s Anti-Money Laundering legislative regimes.

The Chapter covers the Australasian region which includes:

Australia

New Zealand

Papua New Guinea

Pacific Islands

Membership

In 2013 the Australasian Chapter Board of ACAMS resolved to implement a moratorium on chapter membership fees. The effect of this decision is to automatically extend chapter membership to all members of ACAMS who reside in the Australasian region.

What this means is that you will be automatically granted Australasian chapter membership when you join or renew your ACAMS membership at no extra cost. Membership to the chapter will be synchronised for the same timeframe as your ACAMS membership. For additional information on this initiative, or if you are missing your Australasian Chapter membership please contact chapters@acams.org.

ACAMS / New Zealand Police FIU 2017 Conference

13-14 September 2017

The annual ACAMS/FIU financial crime conference is firmly established as New Zealand’s largest event of its type. Now into its 5th iteration as a joint venture with the NZ Police FIU, the Board of ACAMS Australasia is very pleased to bring you advance notice of this major event in Wellington in September 2017.

ACAMS ran another very popular local event in Auckland, on the topic of the Financial Markets Authority’s role in AML/CFT and latest Monitoring and Sector Risk Assessment updates for the sectors it supervises.

Senior Advisors Lena De Fonseca and Brandt Botha took time out from a busy monitoring and supervisory workload to address our members.

We were able to hear from the FMA at a good time in the organisational life cycle, as both the New Zealand AML/CFT regime and its own approach as a Supervisor continues to mature. Attendees were able to get an advance sneak preview at the new Sector Risk Assessment from the FMA, the first for its sectors since 2011 (by the then previous regulator, the Securities Commission). We were pleased to get ahead of the curve before the SRA was publicly released to the market the following month.

We were kindly hosted on this occasion by ANZ Bank and, with attendees limited on the night to 50 persons, it was a case of “get in quickly” for those keen to be at our latest successful training and networking event.

Not just the Financial Sector in the gun – Phase 2 extensions in NZ and Australia

5 DEC 2016 – AUCKLAND EVENT

As a result of Panama Papers politics, New Zealand looks set to move ahead swiftly to extend the AML-CFT regime to professional gatekeepers, DNFPBs and high value asset dealers. The Ministry of Justice has been weighing up submissions received, and a draft Bill is expected in early 2017. Our expert panel discussed what it will mean in New Zealand, both for the new sectors covered and for existing reporting entities.

Gareth Pindred of KPMG Advisory-Forensics spoke on issues for the Accounting profession; Gary Hughes barrister provided a perspective from the Legal profession, and visiting expert Neil Jeans helpfully commented on what NZ’s speed of legislation and approach might mean for Australia’s own tranche 2 expansion plans.

The event doubled as the ACAMS Christmas drinks in Auckland (kindly hosted by KPMG) and approximately 65 attendees enjoyed the opportunity to catch up informally after the seminar.

Now into its third year as an ACAMS Australasia JV with the NZ Police, this Conference was a big success, with many favourable comments from the 250 attendees that it was the best event of its type for several years. One attendee reportedly said it was “life changing for her” – although admittedly she was a first time ACAMS conference rookie!

The theme of “Private – Public Sector Partnership” lent itself to many interpretations and discussions as to how reporting entities can become more cohesive and more helpfully involved with public sector crime fighting objectives.

Several international and New Zealand keynote presenters and topics were very favourably received, including Steve Farrer/Darren Coulston with a presentation on (People Trafficking and Slavery) that was as shocking as it was thought provoking. Professor Michael Littlewood made sense and simplicity of a complex topic in NZ’s Shewan Report proposals after the Panama Papers/Tax Haven revelations. A fascinating insight into how the banking sector can contribute strongly and positively to analysing and anticipating terrorist recruits and potential terrorist fighter movements was another top-quality crowd favourite session.

As always, the drinks/networking function at the end of Day 1 was a big hit. It has to be said that Trans-Tasman discussions and networking continuing well into the evening.

We have set a very high bar for this major Australasian conference, which would not be possible without the huge effort of a small number of volunteers. Planning is now underway for the 4th official JV event again in September 2017.

2nd Annual Financial Crime Summit

16-17 Aug 2016 – Sydney Event

The second Annual Financial Crime Summit was held on 16-17 Aug 2016. The event was organised by IQPC and was supported by ACAMS Australasian Chapter. ACAMS consumables and magazines were distributed to the attendees at the 2-day conference. Crispin Yuen from the Chapter’s Board chaired the event and was supported by Chapter Working Group members, Ash Walters and Carlos Sanchez.

Day 1 started with a guest speaker from the US Department of Justice FCPA Unit, who spoke via teleconference to a room of over 70 attendees. The program continued with a panel discussion on building a global anti-corruption program. Panel speakers from the US IRS, Bank of Tokyo- Mitsubishi, NSW Police Force (Fraud and Cybercrime Squad) and Association of Certified Fraud Examiners spoke passionately about their views on culture, expectations and the definition of a bribe. It was a lively discussion and involved questions from the audience. A member on the panel did not fully agree with the comments from the earlier session on voluntary self-disclosure. The day continued with presentations, roundtable and discussions with speakers from Pitney Bowes, Australian Federal Police (Crime Operations), AUSTRAC, DFAT, ANZ, ATO, UniSuper and SWIFT. The day ended with social networking drinks hosted by ACAMS with canapés served.

Day 2 continued with speakers from International Bar Association, DFAT, ANZ, Weir Group, Attorney-General’s Department and AIG. Highlights include the panel discussion on complying with foreign bribery, corruption and sanctions. Panel speakers covered on the international linkages of our economy and how we need to hardened the environment to deter organised crime. It was interesting to note a comment on how the FATF Recommendations is used as a reference for organised criminals to avoid being detected. The presentation made by the AGD highlighted the challenge faced internally within the Australian Government where a Commonwealth fraud control framework is needed to be implemented across 180 different Commonwealth entities with different fraud risks, priorities and arrangements. The day closed with the Ask the Experts Session, covering Tax Evasion, AML Compliance Challenges, Sanctions Compliance, Risk Appetite within an organisation.

The summit was well received by the attendees based on positive comments on the quality of the content and speakers, as heard during the networking session and break times.

Anti-Bribery and Corruption in New Zealand

16 Aug 2016 – Auckland Event

Hosted at KPMG, a panel discussion on Anti-Bribery and Corruption was held with 4 speakers from the Serious Fraud Office, New Zealand Police FIU, Inland Revenue Department, and ACAMS.

The focus was on detection or prevention measures that explore the overlap of ABC prevention and AML programmes, including commentary on the NZ Bribery legal framework and International Conventions, case studies, and risk factors or indicators that financial institutions can look out for.

Almost 70 attendees thoroughly enjoyed the event, and several comments were made that it was an important and often under-explored topic for New Zealand.

The Panama Papers

24 May 2016 – Sydney Event

Control Risks presented on the implications of the Panama Papers for financial services organisations, now and into the future. The presentation focused on the leak itself, the tactical response, the potential impact on financial services organisations and others as these leaks become increasingly prevalent, and the potential response from regulators. Speakers included Mark Pulvirenti, Carla Liedtke and Allanna Skeels.

FATF and Tabcorp

5 May 2016 – Melbourne Event

29 attendees made it to the ANZ conference rooms to hear a discussion on both the FATF plenary meeting relating to terrorist financing held in Paris earlier this year and to have an interesting discussion on the document requests made as part of the AUSTRAC v. Tabcorp litigation.

Milan Girgovic of the ANZ’s financial crime intelligence team gave an interesting and considered download of the FATF plenary and what ANZ are trying to do in relation to Terrorist Financing and Foreign fighters. The development of relationships with the security agencies and the importance of timely information were stressed as well as some typical red flags seen across banking. One salient but slightly off point comment from the floor was that the foreign fighter’s legislation is not linked to the AML/CTF Act at this point in time and, whilst there is no technical requirement to include this as a risk in your ML/TF risk assessment, it would be wise to start thinking about it.

Paddy Oliver talked over some of the interesting considerations coming from the document requests made as part of the AUSTRAC v. Tabcorp litigation. Several of these were – recognising that suspicious matter reporting includes the requirement to report an matter that may raise a suspicion that any state or federal law has been broken – as Paddy kindly advised us not even he knows all the laws. Another interesting discussion rose over the apparent suggestion by AUSTRAC through the charges that if one part of an AML/CTF program was deficient then there was no program in place. It is highly recommended that everyone keeps an eye on how this progresses and despite some requests for the matter to proceed to judgement and therefore provide some certainty it may be some time before the whole matter is resolved.

Drinks after the event aided the flow of the discussion and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves.

ADCCA

29 Mar 2016 – Sydney Event

Held at ANZ on 29 March 2016, Nick Giurietto, CEO and Managing Director of the Australian Digital Currency Commerce Association (ADCCA.org.au), the peak industry body representing Bitcoin and Blockchain businesses in Australia was our keynote speaker.

Following a Senate recommendation from 2015, ADCCA is leading the development of a Digital Currency Industry Code of Conduct designed to clearly distinguish reputable operators from those with inadequate compliance controls. Nick provided an update on the development of the Code of Conduct which includes but goes beyond AML/CTF requirements. He also provided insight into the perspective of key regulators.

ACAMS was pleased to present a panel discussion on this hottest of topics for 2016, with experts from Insurance risk, Forensic, IT, and Policy perspectives all helping to identify and deal with the growing involvement of organised and financial crime groups in cybercriminal activities. Hardly a day goes by without some new cyber risk presenting itself. An increasingly sinister trend is, for example, phishing or hacking and data theft/exposure followed by financial extortion by an organised crime gang. Some in the media have even dubbed 2016 “the year of online extortion”.

Cash Intensive Business – Vulnerabilities from a Money Laundering Perspective

8 Mar 2016 – Wellington Event

Held at KPMG, our guest speaker, Dr Nicholas Gilmour spoke about the vulnerabilities of cash intensive businesses. Despite large scale focus on combating Money Laundering, cash intensive business remains a viable and popular method to launder criminal profits. This presentation will outline the exploratory findings of research recently conducted in the United Kingdom that sought to identify the process, steps and vulnerabilities behind Money Laundering through cash-intensive business, while highlighting key facilitators that enable this method of money laundering using a documented case study.

Panel Discussion

Prior to his retirement, Aub Chapman was a career banker with over 42 years of professional experience.

In his last role at Westpac Banking Corporation, he was responsible for managing a number of functions including Group Fraud Control, Physical Security, Business Continuity Services, Cash and ATM Services as well as managing the group’s compliance with AML/CTF legislation.

Since his retirement, Aub has been consulting in both the public and private sectors, not only in Australia, but also internationally. He specialises in controls against financial crime and management of cash services. His international experience includes assignments for the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, The Eurasian Group on Money Laundering (on behalf of the FSVC), Bank Negara Malaysia, Institut Bank-Bank Malaysia and the Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority. He has been a guest speaker at a number of international AML/CTF conferences and international conferences associated with the cash services industry.

Aub is a founding member of the Australasian Chapter, a member of the ACAMS Education Task Force and received the ACAMS AML Professional of the Year award in 2009.

Erum is a Senior Manager, Enterprise Financial Crime at Westpac, one of Australia’s Big Four Banks.

Erum is a Financial Crime specialist with over 15 years of wide-ranging international risk and compliance experience. She has previously worked at Westpac as a specialist AML/CTF advisor on projects in multiple business units. Erum has also worked in the Deloitte Forensic practice in Sydney for several years, where she led AML/CTF and sanctions projects for various financial institutions.

Prior to this, Erum worked with ABN AMRO Bank at the regional AML/CTF office for Asia, based in Singapore, where she was involved with various aspects of AML and sanctions compliance for a number of Asian countries. She has also worked as compliance officer at ABN AMRO Pakistan where she was responsible for AML/CTF program implementation, operational risk management, training, legal matters, business continuity planning and information security management.

Erum is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) since 2005 and holds a Master of Business Administration degree.

Martin is a Director of Anti-Money Laundering Solutions Limited, a specialist AML firm providing consulting and auditing services in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. He has consulted full-time as an AML specialist since June 2012. In that time, he has assisted a wide range of entities including registered banks (local and foreign), casinos, large insurance companies, money remitters, foreign exchange traders, fund managers, and trustee companies.

Prior to becoming an AML consultant, Martin commenced his career as a corporate lawyer at Russell McVeagh, one of New Zealand’s largest law firms. He went on to hold held senior legal and compliance roles at ABN AMRO Bank N.V. – New Zealand branch as Associate Director, Legal and Compliance, and with Heartland Building Society, then New Zealand’s largest non-bank deposit taker, as Head of Compliance and Company Secretary.

Martin received his certification as an Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) in May 2012, and was the first in Australasia to gain the CAMS Audit advanced certification in April 2014. He also holds degrees in Law and Commerce (Economics) from the University of Auckland.

In his last role, as Head of Compliance, Australia and New Zealand at Ria Financial Services, Crispin was tasked to remediate, redesign and rebuild the company’s regional AML/CTF and Sanctions Compliance program.

Crispin previously worked at AMP, Deutsche Bank, CBA, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and OCBC Bank. At AMP, Crispin assisted in the harmonisation of AMP and AXA’s AML/CTF frameworks for use by its post-merger entity. At Deutsche Bank, Crispin was the Compliance Manager in its Central Compliance team responsible for the bank’s Asia Pacific businesses. His role covered the detection and prevention of potential market abuse, insider trading, securities fraud and market manipulation. In 2008, while at Deloitte, Crispin was seconded to ANZ Bank to be part of the bank’s AML & Sanctions team in resolving its OFAC sanctions matter.

Crispin’s in-depth experience in remediating and resolving deficiencies raised in both OFAC and AUSTRAC enforcements distinguishes him as one of less than a handful of professionals with such experience in Australia.

Crispin is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and a Certified Information Systems Auditor. Crispin co-authored the 5th edition of CAMS study guide and exam questions. He is the author of the book on the revision to the FATF 40 Recommendations, available on Amazon.com. At the invitation of the Australian Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, Crispin spoke as an industry witness at the “Inquiry into Financial Related Crime”.

Crispin is an approved External Auditor for the purpose of the AML/CTF Act. Crispin has been serving the ACAMS Australasian Chapter since 2007.

An AUSTRAC Authorised Auditor Paddy has carried out independent review under the AML Act and for reporting entities under enforceable undertakings.

He is a leading commentator on the issue of AML/CTF legislation with a focus on the consequences for legal practice and legal practice management. He is a regular conference speaker on AML and compliance issues for both the financial services and the legal sector, and has articles published on AML/CTF in the major Law Society journals.

Paddy holds a law degree and a legal research degree from Trinity College, Dublin, a Masters of Business Administration from University of Ulster, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Kylie Oliver is Manager Sanctions Compliance in ANZ’s Enterprise Financial Crime Team located in Melbourne. The role is responsible for policy development and monitoring of compliance with Economic and Trade Sanctions legislation across thirty countries.

A Financial Crime Professional, Kylie has over 10 years experience, most recently leading Financial Intelligence operations overseeing teams based in Melbourne, Bangalore and Manila.

Kylie has spent more than 25 years in the banking and finance arena, across a number of different business units in a wide range of roles including risk, operations and project management, training & development and change & communication. Kylie has worked in Australia, London and the Channel Islands for international banks including ANZ, Grindlays Private Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.

Kylie’s current role at ANZ’s requires a great degree of stakeholder management, engaging with business, risk and legal stakeholders to ensure that Financial Crime policies, procedures and guidelines strike the right balance between risk and commercial considerations.

Kylie holds a Masters of Business Administration (Deakin) and Bachelors of Training and Development (Melbourne). She is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

Karl joined Goldman Sachs Australia in 2016 as an Executive Director in the Financial Crime Compliance team and is the Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer for Australia and New Zealand. Prior to his current role Karl was a Director with Bank of America from 2014, where he lead the Global Financial Crime Compliance team in Australia and was also responsible for enhanced due diligence in APAC. Prior to joining Bank of America, Karl worked for 16 years in a range of regulatory, national security and law enforcement positions. In these roles he undertook several long and short term assignments to the Asia Pacific area, the Middle East and Europe. Prior to the public service Karl worked for 3 years in N.M. Rothschild & Sons as an Executive in the banking team. Karl has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a Master of Commerce, both from the University of Sydney. In his spare time, he is an Intelligence Corps officer in the Standby Reserve.

Todd Harland is the CEO of AML Solutions International, a specialist consultancy firm focused on the development and implementation of AML/CTF programs and procedures at an enterprise level and with the development of FIUs at a government level.

Prior to forming his company he had a distinguished career spanning across multiple areas of compliance, training, law enforcement, intelligence, counter terrorism, and foreign government assistance, including 15 with the Queensland Police and 4 years with AUSTRAC.

As an AUSTRAC Authorised Auditor Todd has conducted AML reviews for Australian businesses both large and small. He has conducted AML/CTF workshops across the African continent and throughout the Middle East and Gulf States. He has also been asked to present at multi-national seminars regarding the financing of organised crime.

Todd holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Management, Bachelor of Business and various risk and audit qualifications.

Gary Hughes is an independent barrister in Auckland, specialising in regulatory investigations, advice, prosecutions and court disputes. Involved in AML-CFT work since 2007, when the legislation was first being shaped, he is widely regarded as New Zealand’s most experienced lawyer in this field.

Formerly a partner in a leading litigation law firm, Gary has over 20 years experience in NZ and the UK helping clients resolve compliance issues or investigations by regulators and government agencies. Areas of expertise include AML, Competition law, cartels, consumer protection, fraud, insurance law, privacy, anti-corruption, and financial services/banking regulation cases. Rankings by leading international lawyer guides (eg Chambers Asia-Pacific, Who’s Who Legal) include in areas of Competition law, Insurance, and Regulatory Investigations.

Gary has advised or represented a wide range of reporting entities, from large multi-national banks to small domestic lenders or global remittance businesses and, on occasion, a Supervisor or law firms. He regularly presents or publishes in his core practice areas, and through his website www.law-strategy.nz.

Phil O’Connell is Regulatory Affairs Manager with SKYCITY Entertainment Group Limited where his role involves managing a broad range of regulatory and compliance issues relating to the Company’s New Zealand casino operations. This includes oversight of the Company’s AML obligations in both Australia and New Zealand. SKYCITY has two casino sites in Australia and a further four sites in New Zealand

Prior to joining SKYCITY Phil worked as a regulator with the Casino Control Authority responsible for regulatory oversight of casino operations and before that with the Department of Internal Affairs. His last role with DIA involved managing a team of inspectors at Christchurch Casino. He has held a variety of gaming policy and enforcement related roles with the DIA in Wellington.

Phil holds a Diploma in Business Administration from Victoria University and is currently undertaking an LLB part time at Auckland University.

Rodney is currently working at Westpac as an AML/CTF manager for the Group AML/CTF team which sets and monitors compliance across the Westpac Group’s policy, program and standards.

He also provides technical guidance and support to AML/CTF representatives across the Group.

Prior to working at Westpac, Rodney spent ten years working in various roles across the financial services industry (banking, superannuation and asset management). He held a variety of responsibilities ranging from quality assurance and client services to relationship management. During that time, he gained operational AML/CTF experience by being exposed to the complex frontline impacts that are a reality among global asset management organisations doing business in Australia.

Rodney is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and holds a Bachelor of Science.